Florida Buyer Beware - Publix Citrus

[Calusa]

Came home from Publix today with a bag of California Minneola Tangelos (Sunkist) that were beautiful but a little on the small side. Just tried one and it was almost as sour as a lemon. No kidding. Not one iota of Mandarin flavor. They are going back right away.

Last week in the same store they had a sample table with plugs of "Sumo" laid out. Tried one of those and it tasted a lot like water with a few drops of sunny delight stirred in. Needless to say I moved along .... also from California I believe.

Not to intentionally knock California fruit, but dang!

[1rainman]

California fruit is usually dry whereas Florida squirts juice. Florida citrus usually made into juice and Cali stuff sold as fruit. But the Florida juice often sucks now. Though I do like the less sweet juice sometimes because I like to cut back on sugar. The greening makes them less sweet but they mix some sweet with it and it's good. Florida natural now mixes concentrated Mexican juice it was all Florida. Used to be one of the best juices on the market. It's disgusting now undrinkable. Weird though some high priced Florida stuff is still good. But I have been getting garbage citrus from all locations due to citrus greening.

But years ago I bought an "ugly fruit" at Publix. They sometimes buy people's stuff from their backyard. Well it wasn't ugli fruit with a tm. Just looked like it some kind of sour tasting hybrid which they charged way too much like over a dollar for one fruit. After that I don't trust citrus at Publix. They buy anything without trying it first.

[gnappi]

I've had such terrible luck with Publix fruit in general this past year I buy what I can in Aldi and local farmer's markets. For that matter, since I do not need the huge brand selection the big stores, for MOST of my shopping I'm at Aldi as are many others.

[1rainman]

Publix is garbage. The only thing it had going for it was clean stores, and customer service. Now they have one register open, the rest are all self checkout which doesn't take cash and the store maintenance has gotten sloppy. It's just Walmart with higher prices now. It's ok if it's close but it isn't worth driving to. Target is the last holdout. Even though they have self checkout they still have several registers open and pay their workers a living wage.

[Millet]

I am with 1rainman.  I NEVER use the self checkout on purpose

[Oolie]

I am with 1rainman.  I NEVER use the self checkout on purpose

I prefer self checkout to a scanner/bagger who smashes my fruit.

[JakeFruit]

At least I know for sure the fruit is going to suck at Trader Joe's 


TJ's is actually great for certain fruit, best pomelos for cheap and the sumos were also pretty good/great this season....just stay away from most of their bagged apples and tropical fruit (over the winter, especially). Publix has the cheaper avocadoes and (usually) better strawberries. I go to TJs more than ever now (it's amazing how their prices on some items hasn't gone up even one cent), but still have to go to Publix for some essentials. Damn shame the Luckys Market closed, I was able to avoid Publix almost entirely back when they were open.

[Aiptasia904]

We ran into terrible fruit at Winn Dixie this week. The culprit were force ripened strawberries on BOGO sale. Now I know why they were on sale. No flavor at all. Terrible. Force ripened fruit should be banned.

[EricSC]

We ran into terrible fruit at Winn Dixie this week. The culprit were force ripened strawberries on BOGO sale. Now I know why they were on sale. No flavor at all. Terrible. Force ripened fruit should be banned.

I am fully with you for banning force ripened fruits. However, most fruits in market either are force ripened or far from ripened because they have to be picked, stored, and shipped to stores and still appear perfect. 

[1rainman]

Well that's why you grow fruit yourself or buy from a  local grower. It's like grapes. I love wild grapes and home grown. Store grapes I seldom eat them. Even a variety I like such as red globe usually was picked and shipped across the world and not great. Though generally the home varieties taste better too. Same with bananas. They are amazing home grown. Store bananas I seldom eat. Maybe once in a while. Though I haven't had much home grown stuff in years other than a few grapes. I need to start growing more again.

If course I like the plants themselves as well so it's an all around win in many cases.

[Calusa]

Although California citrus generally is not the best tasting to me (though very pretty), the poor quality Minneola and Sumo citrus was surprising and a disappointment, considering that everything else grown there (strawberries, peaches, nuts and many other fruits and vegetables including grape juice from Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties ), is superb.

[1rainman]

Grapes and strawberries usually have lower fruit quality in hot weather. Citrus produce good fruit in the heat. I do have grapes that do well in heat and someone told me he grew strawberries in Florida but generally speaking. California is not boiling hot like Florida.

[W.]

I too was greatly disappointed in the Sumo citrus I bought at my last trip to Publix. They were bland, which I had never experienced with fruit from that variety. It's not like I'd never bought them before from Publix, but it was my first time this citrus season.